Deep Democracy

The Art of Effective Decision-Making

February 26 & 27, 2009
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Deep Democracy is an advanced facilitation paradigm and toolkit that can be used in a variety of ways to help large and small groups and individuals enhance decision-making, communication, conflict resolution and personal growth. The methodology does not view difficulties as "pathologies" in the group or in any of its members, but rather as creative possibilities which need assistance to unfold. It assumes there is enormous wisdom and value in conflicting opinions. It is this emphasis on health rather than dysfunction which provides a safe container and allows individuals, groups, teams and organizations to transform with surprising rapidity and grace.

Deep Democracy is based on the pioneering work of psychologist and physicist Arnold Mindell, whose concepts and principles have been adapted for laymen by clinical psychologist Myrna Lewis and her late husband Greg. It was developed in South Africa specifically to help organizations build a new paradigm of shared leadership and racial equity as apartheid was dissolving. Over the past 15 years hundreds of individuals have been trained in the method. It is practiced widely in businesses, community and public sector organizations, including schools at all levels, in the United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa and it has been introduced in Russia, Israel, Zimbabwe, Iraq and North America. For information about Deep Democracy go to deep-democracy.net.

White Belt training

Although each course follows its own unique path, in this first level of training you can expect to learn skills and tools that will enable you to:

• Run a unique "check in" process that will uncover the dynamics and underlying field of the group – an effective way to start and end meetings
• Engage and facilitate a powerful decision-making process that secures real buy-in and commitment
• "Sort the field", or differentiate between individuals and emotions, opinions and roles in the group's dynamics
• Deliver a "climate report" to raise group awareness and facilitate decisions
• Recognize when a group is avoiding facing underlying issues – "elephants in the room" or blockages – that cause difficulty and pain and prevent forward movement
• Recognize when there is "terrorist" behaviour that is unconsciously disrupting and/or blocking forward movement
• Amplify what is happening to help people say what needs to be said and uncover the real issues and move towards resolution

Through this training you will gain a heightened awareness of:

• The roles you may unwittingly adopt in a group
• The impact of your ability to be compassionate and maintain neutrality
• How to connect to what is happening within yourself and apply that insight to facilitate more effectively

About the Workshop Hosts

Sera Thompson has lived and worked in Canada, the United States and Southern Africa. She met Myrna Lewis and began practicing Deep Democracy while she was living in South Africa helping to lead Pioneers of Change, a global learning community of change agents . She facilitates conversations, conferences and strategic change processes that invite transformative action for a broad range of people and organizations. Sera has trained dozens of people in Deep Democracy around the world and is now working to bring Deep Democracy to North America. She currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she serves on the Governing Council of the ALIA Institute.

Georgina Veldhorst facilitates complex decision making and conflict transformation in health care and non profit organizations in Canada and the US. She has spent much of her career working in the health care system including 8 years at the executive level. Georgina is one of Canada's leading practitioners of Deep Democracy and currently lives and works in both Nairobi, Kenya and Toronto.